Ronald McDonald House Charities, Tulsa is pleased to announce that Charlene Fabian has joined the management team as Director of Development.
Charlene comes to Ronald McDonald House Charities having distinguished herself as an effective fundraiser and planned giving advocate for over 30 years.
Before coming to RMHC, she served as VP Development at Oklahoma Methodist Manor where she led a successful $8.5 million capital campaigns that exceeded the goal by over $1.6 million. She previously served for 13 years as the Director of Stewardship for the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma.
Charlene has received advanced professional training at The National Planned Giving Institute at The College of William and Mary. She has achieved recognition from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). She is a member and Past President of the Eastern Oklahoma Chapter of AFP and has been recognized by that organization as Fundraiser of the Year.
“My mother taught me to have a generous heart. In small ways, with modest means, she helped people to grow their hearts toward God. This made a lasting impression on me and I gravitated toward a career I could love and that would fit my lifestyle. I began volunteering for organizations such as the Junior League and Rotary, and then worked in the non-profit world.”
“It’s wonderful to see someone be generous. The transformational aspect of asking and giving is amazing. The growing from a mindset of scarcity to one of generosity moves me. Some people tell me they can’t ask others for a gift, and I tell them, ‘Yes, you can.’ You are really asking that person to partner with Ronald McDonald House in its mission to keep families together when one of the children is seriously ill or injured. Who could deny that? I want to lift up what we do here as a standard to the community: Our facility and our programs are totally funded by the generosity of others.”
“Personally, I believe in giving back to God through charity; and I have used service ministry as one of the highest levels of vocation. Ronald McDonald House Charities is a perfect fit with my values and I am grateful to serve here.”
Charlene was part of the leadership team of The Junior League of Tulsa at the time the League helped found Ronald McDonald House Charities in Tulsa. “This is like coming full circle for me and I couldn’t be more fulfilled than to represent the mission of keeping families close at a time when a child is critically ill.”
